The Boy Who Lived

Chapter 4: Plans and Pondering

"I heard you and Ginny got back together," Hermione said a week later, teasing Harry from across the fireplace. She was currently curled up with Hogwarts A History, much to Ron's disgust. It seemed that he had wanted her to go on a walk with him, but she refused in favor of her reading. Harry had sat down next to her companionably, cleaning his broom.

"We did," Harry said, unable to keep the smile off of his face. "Oh by the way Hermione we need to start studying for our N.E.W.T.s soon. I'm surprised you haven't made us study schedules yet."

"Oh I have though," Hermione said, sounding both surprised and a little pleased. She pulled out three sheets of parchment out of her bag and held them up for Harry to see. They were indeed study schedules. All three started tomorrow. "I figured we could have one more day of a break before settling down to study."

Harry smiled. Killing Voldemort had made her a lot less rigid about her study schedule. Either that or it was not being in school for a year.

"Did you really get McGonagal's permission for this?" Hermione stared at him nervously.

"Yes I did Hermione for the seven hundredth time." Harry knew he sounded annoyed, but he was sick of being questioned about it. "I doubt that McGonagal would offer me the Headmaster job if it weren't okay that we skipped seventh year."

"That's true," Hermione said, still sounding a little nervous though. "Well, we had better study hard then. Luckily for Ron he doesn't have many subjects that he absolutely must pass, but if you still want to be an Auror Harry... Do you?" What had obviously started out as Hermione about to lecture him on how much work he had to do in the next few weeks had turned into a question.

"Yes, of course I do," Harry said defensively. Why does everyone keep asking that? He wasn't about to change his mind just because the Dark Lord was dead! Sure, it was true that he had sort of first decided to go down this path because of Voldemort and a Death Eater, one of Voldemort's greatest followers, had been the one who suggested this path. Still, though, Harry felt the pull of this perspective job like no other held his interest. Sure, Quidditch was something he enjoyed doing, but not for a career or lifestyle choice. HE stared at her with renewed resolve. "That's the only thing I can really imagine doing Hermione."

"What about Quidditch?" She asked, unknowingly echoing his own thoughts, and he felt himself blinking at her through his astonishment. She smoothed out her pants nervously. "You're a great seeker Harry, everyone says so. You could do that instead. You wouldn't even need to take your N.E.W.T.S."

"I don't know Hermione," Harry said, still a little thrown. Sure, he had thought of it himself, but hearing Hermione say it was something he never thought he would hear. "I mean, I've never really thought of it. I guess I just figured it would be kinda dull after a while... I like quidditch, but a career in it?"

"I just think that you should think of other possibilities besides being an Auror," Hermione told him, still looking a bit uncomfortable. "It's a good job, but I feel like you only want to do it because of...well, past experiences."

"I love Defense Against the Dark Arts Hermione," Harry told her, feeling a little more grounded. "And it's not like I want to be an Auror for the rest of my life. There's time enough to do other things and it's not like I even need a job for money. I understand what you're saying, but I want to do this Hermione. I like the idea of having all the possibilities in the world open to me."

Hermione smiled. It was the first genuine smile Harry had seen her make tonight. "Is this why you didn't want to go on a walk with Ron?" He questioned. "You were worried about me?"

She shifted uncomfortable. Harry took that as a yes and couldn't help but smile back at Hermione. At one time this might have exasperated him.

"What do you want to do Hermione? I don't think I've ever really asked," Harry said, curious.

Hermione beamed. "Muggle relations! I decided after you defeated Voldemort and I saw all the damage that was being done with what the students at Hogwarts were being taught. I already have a few ideas of policies that can be changed and I applied for an internship. It's their procedure in that department before being offered a job. So as long as I get satisfactory marks on my N.E.W.T.s..."

"Which you will," Harry put in and she glared at him.

"Then I'm off to the ministry for a year. They even have housing provided in little flats!" Hermione said, sounding excited. "They look really nice too. They only accept two or three internships each year. I do hope I get it, because I haven't really thought of what I would do if I didn't."

"You will," Harry said with a smile. "I have faith in that."

"Please stop saying that," Hermione groaned. "You're making me more nervous then I was before. Perhaps we should start studying tonight."

"Do you think Ron still wants to become an Auror with me?" Harry asked, pondering this idea. He and Ron had always taken the same courses in school, but did he really want to follow Harry in pursuing Harry's dream?

"Oh no!" Hermione said, looking surprised. "He didn't tell you? The Department of Mysteries approached him a couple weeks ago at Hogwarts and informed him that they want him to accept an internship in their Department. They don't accept applications and prefer to seek candidates out. Not much is known, because it's so secret, but I think they only accept one intern a year. I was quite surprised when he told me and of course he isn't supposed to be spreading it around, but they told him that they're been watching him. I think the delluminator made them even more curious about him even though Dumbledore gave him it. But it's a great honor. Though it surprises me they didn't wait for his N.E.W.T. scores..."

Harry listened to her prattle on for a couple more minutes about everything she knew about the Department of Mysteries. "They must be hurting still from two years ago when Voldemort broke in," he pondered. "But I'm sure they're right to pick Ron: he is the one who makes the best strategies."

"Exactly," Hermione beamed.

"Aren't you going to miss him though?" Harry asked and she froze. Despite everything that happened throughout the last year Ron and Hermione still weren't officially together and it was not a comfortable subject to broach. One could never tell if Hermione would attack you for even saying that it was a possibility or if the pair of them would clam up. This apparently was a clamming up time, so Harry quickly put in: "We're all been together for so long and now we're going all separate ways..."

"Don't be silly," Hermione said. "We'll all be living right by each other in that housing I was telling you about. I don't even think they keep us in separate departments. We're all going to the Ministry after all."

For the first time Harry felt uncomfortable with that thought. The Ministry. Even Riddle had never bothered to go there. Was he really ready to subject himself to it after all this time?

"It'll be fine," Hermione said, obviously reading his thoughts. Harry merely smiled at her uncertainly.

Draco Malfoy sat in his room, unable to think. After leaving Hogwarts he had simply sat in his room most days, unable to decide what he should be doing next. Ever since his father had learned that Voldemort had returned his future had been set. He would be the Dark Lord's follower. He would be a Death Eater. He had argued against going back to Hogwarts, but Voldemort had told him personally that his services were needed helping the Carrows.

Of course it wasn't said so nicely. It was said through sneers and laughter of the other Death Eaters watching. It was no job that anyone Voldemort really wanted on his side would be forced to take. His family was in a sticky situation in the Dark Lord's mind. Bellatrix had been deposed from Voldemort's side as his most beloved servant and Severus Snape had been raised up for killing Dumbledore. The job Draco should have had.

They couldn't afford to have Draco argue. They also couldn't afford to mess up again in the Dark Lord's name.

But they had. Near Christmas. They had Harry Potter in their clutches and Aunt Bella had wasted her time torturing Hermione Granger, the disgusting Mudblood, instead of making sure Potter was kept in her sight. And finally they had failed him when his mother had not betrayed the fact that Harry was not in fact dead and told Voldemort that he was. He still was astounded at that nugget of information. He didn't know if his father would ever forgive her, which was silly since there was no going back at this point.

But now what was left? Draco hadn't kept up with his marks his last two years of school. He hadn't even bothered to take his N.E.W.T.s, though McGonagal had sent him an owl reminding him to set up a time to do so this summer. His mother had made an appointment despite his arguments. He just wanted to redo his life for the last two year, he told her. He wanted to go back to Hogwarts and finish right this time.

"You can't," Narcissa snarled at him. "Don't you think that I've question McGonagal on that already? She won't have you since she's not taking Potter or the others back either. She says at least you actually were there for your seventh year unlike them. For Merlin's sake Draco just take you N.E.W.T.s and you can stay here and sulk for a year if that's what you want to do, but you will finish school in the eyes of the Ministry! We don't want any more trouble -- your father already must go through trial and I won't have you going through the same thing!"

That was when Draco decided it was best to sulk in his room under the illusion that he was studying. In actuality he was doing nothing of the sort. Instead of worrying about his future he was still consumed with the past.

There was one thing that had struck him most about Potter's last encounter with Voldemort. He had said that Draco had been the one to inherit the Elder Wand before Harry. It had made him rage inside not being aware of that information. Oh what he could have done with that wand! Aunt Bella probably wouldn't be dead right now! Potter would have been captured, he would have been able to put out Crabbe's spell!

In the weeks after he left Hogwarts a plot was beginning to form. A plot that might be able to grant him some comfort in the weeks ahead.

Yay another chapter done. I'm posting this up a little earlier than usual.

So I'm a little confused about the Ressurection Stone. When I read the book I assumed that the stone was set in the ring and still in ring form when Harry found it in the Snitch, but my sister is convinced that Dumbledore took the Stone out of the ring. Am I just not reading the book right? Can someone help me haha, I'll give you a cookie if you can explain it to me :)...

Keeperguy64: I agree with you that it might not be the future job Harry really wants (which is why I keep having characters question why he's continuing on this path), but I think that he does think he wants it at this point in time. Maybe that's just me though :).

Banana Pancake: I guess I just feel like if they did go back to school for a year then Rowling is cheating us out of a book and I wanted McGonagal to offer Harry the Headmaster position so I feel it would be kind of weird if they went back to 7th year after that exchange. I hope that the story is still interesting, though, in the direction I hope to go with it...

As always thanks everyone for your comments :). I have an actual plot in mind now so I'm not just writing to write, I promise ;p.